Botox became a household word when it was approved in 2002 for cosmetic purposes. Since then, Botox injections have quickly become the most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States.

Treatments involve injecting specific facial muscles with small, purified, diluted amounts of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which interrupts nerve signals so muscles can't contract; as a result, wrinkles soften. Treatments generally take 10 minutes, and the effects last for 3 to 8 months.